EFFECTS OF STORAGE AND PRE-SOWING TREATMENT ON SEED GERMINATION OF RATTANS (Calamus sp.)

Rattan consists of around 630 species and is considered as one of the most important non-timber forest products worldwide. Rattan industry has been contributing to sustaining the livelihood of more than 5 million people, epically in poor tropics. Propagation technique in rattan becomes important as demand for plantation establishment has been increasing. This study is to test the effect of storage and pre-sowing treatment on seed germination of Calamus tetradactylus and Calamus platyacanthus. The seeds were collected from natural rattans in evergreen broadleaved, Northwestern Vietnam. It was stored in a jar in room conditions for storage experiment including immediate sowing, 1-month storage, 2-month storage, 3-month storage, and 4-month storage. In the pre-sowing treatment experiment, seeds were treated by ordinary water 45°C for 6 hours, H2SO4 3% for 5 minutes, H2SO4 5% for 5 minutes, and control (no treatment). The results indicated that the storage duration significantly affected the germination rate of rattans. The best storage duration is less than 1 month, which resulted in a germination rate of >55% with 15 days required to the first germination. While storing for more than 4 months led to a germination rate of <3.5%. Seeds pre-treated with H2SO4 5% for 5 minutes resulted in the highest germination rate (>73%) and the shortest time to the first germination (<19 days). While in control germination rate was lower than 47% and the time required to first germination was longer than 55 days. It is recommended that to produce seedlings of Calamus tetradactylus and Calamus platyacanthus seeds should not be stored for more than one month and seeds should be pre-treated with H2SO4 5% for 5 minutes.